Co-funded by

Wellbeing of Women-Royal College of Midwives Partnership Entry Level Scholarships (ELS) provide single candidates with up to £20,000 for research lasting normally up to one year. Funds are for directly incurred research costs and may include a salary contribution. Applicants must be midwives and full members of the RCM. The research must be undertaken in the UK.

Scholarships are usually for research that seeks to improve the practice of midwifery and maternity services, including postnatal care, but will be considered for basic science, clinical, and translational research across any area of women’s reproductive and gynaecological health, that seeks to improve the health of women, girls and babies.

Awards are intended to provide ‘pump-priming’ funds to enable midwives to be exposed to a research environment and to obtain pilot data that will enhance an application for a research fellowship (PhD or MD). Applicants would normally be new to the research discipline and will not previously have been heavily involved in substantial or funded research projects.

An ELS is not intended as a ‘top-up’ for existing grants. Its primary purpose is to support a single individual at an early stage of their research career.

In line with RCM's Race Matters campaign and our intent to increase involvement and engagement from and support to midwives who identify as Black, Asian or an ethnic minority, we welcome applications from midwives from these communities and/or whose project aims to improve the health outcomes from people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities.

Applicants are encouraged to make use of the RCM Research Award Buddy Scheme. The scheme has been created to encourage and support more midwives to apply for the WoW-RCM ELS awards and is a source of advice and guidance for applicants when developing their research ideas and funding applications.

2024 Call timeline

Call launch: Week commencing 15 April 2024

Submission deadline: 11 July 2024 at 1pm

Application outcome: October 2024

Awards start: from December 2024

How to apply

Download the WoW-RCM ELS application forms and guidance below. Before applying, please read the grant guidance.

WoW-RCM_Entry Level Scholarship_Application Form 2024

WoW Research Questions for Non-standard Animals

WoW-RCM_Entry Level Scholarship_Guidance for Applicants 2024

If you have any queries, please contact the Wellbeing of Women research team at [email protected] or call 020 3697 6346.